Miter-clamp.



T. B. MILLER.

MITER GLAMP. ArPLIoA'rIoN PILBD MAn.a,1s1o.

978,187. Patennea De@.13,191o.

2 BIIBETS-SHEET 1.

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T. B. MILLER.

MITAER OLAMP. APPLmATIoN rILBD MAB.3,1910.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

2 8HBETS-SHEBT 2.

THOMAS B. MILLER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

MITER-CLAIVIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patcnted Dec. 13, 1910.

Application filed March 3, 1910. Serial No. 547,364.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. MLLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Miter- Olamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to miter clainps and more espeoially to that class for holding the mitered edges of a pair of the members of a picture or analogous frame together while the same are nailedtogether, and my object is to produce a clainp of this character equipped with a pair of fixed jaws and a pair of movable jaws, the latter being adapted through their engagement with the members of the frame to assume positions parallel with the adjacent fixed j aws and to have a converging movement toward the adjacent ends of said members for the purpose of imparting a slight longitudinal movement thereto to clamp them firmly together end to end and thus obviate the necessity of the operator holding said members elamped together by hand until the movable jaws have clamped them immovably against the fixed jaws.

A further object is to produce means for nailing the members together while held firmly in the clamp between the jaws thereof.

A still further object is to produce an adjustable nailing means to permit nails to be driven at difi'erent distances from the exterior corner of the frame, or for securing the members together by a plurality of `nails as desirable where the members are large and heavy.

With these general objects in view and others as hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood'reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a top plan view of a miter clamp embodying my invention, said figure also showing one of the nailing attachments, the complete device for convenience preferably embodying va pair of such attachments so as to obviate the neeessity of removing the attachment from one side of the longitudinal clamp to the, other to drive nails at intersecting angles. Fig. 2 is a vertical seci tion on the line II-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 8, is an enlar ed vertical section on the line III- III o^ Fie'. 1. Fig. 4, is a section on the line IV-I ofi'Fig. 1. Fig. 5, is a section on the line V-V of Fig. 1.. Fig. (i, is a section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1. Fig. 7, is a detail perspective view of a slidable nail driving plunger.

In the said drawings where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all the figures, 1 indicates a bed plate p'rovided in its upper side with a longitudinally-extending Y-shaped recess 2. 3 indicates the stem and 4 the branches of said recess, it being noted that the branches are slightly curved.

5 are fixed jaws preferably castwit-h the plate and extending at right angles to each other, the said jaws being forined with or securcd to the upper side of the plate and at equal angles from the longitudinal center thereof, the said jaws meeting on the plate in the vertical plane of the longitudinal center of the plate, and in this connection it will be noted by reference particularly to Fig. 2, that the jaws bridge the recess 2, at their meeting ends. Near said ends the jaws are recessed in their upper Sides as at 6 to acconnnodate the placement of the nails or brads as hereinafter referred to and at their meeting ends the jaws are provided with an extension 7, to which is swiveled the front end of the longitudinally-extending screw 8, equipped beyond the rear end of the bed plate with a suitable handle such as hand wheel 9. Forining a bearing for and movable upon said screw when the latter is turned, is a slidable cross-head 10, dovetailed in the stem 3 of the rccess 2, ns shown clearly in Fig. 3, and said cross-head is provided in its under side with a recess 11, receiving the lower headed ends of screw bolts 12, to which are pivotally attached the rear ends of slide bars 14, which li side by side in the stem 3 of recess 2 and at the front end of said stem diverge forwardly, the forward half of each of said slide bars being curved to correspond approximately with and occupy one of the branches 4; of the recess. Near their front ends the slide-bars are equipped with upwardly projecting pivot pins 15, upon which are pivotally mounted jaws 16, provided at their rear edges with rearwardly projecting teeth 17.

Assuming that it is deslred to clamp together mltered ends of a pair of members 18 of a picture frame or its equivalent, the hand wheel is first turned so as to dispose the jaws 10 a distance from jaws in excess of the width of said members 18. The latter are then fitted upon the bed plate against the front faces of the jaws 5, no particular care being exercised in fitting their mitered edges together in the exact plane of the lo-ngitudinal centerl of'the clamp, it being understood that in the adjustment referred to of said movable jaws the cross-head 10 slides forward in the recess`2 of the bed plate and moves with it the slide bars 14, the outer ends of the latter moving apart because of the curvature of the fiaring relation between the branch arms 4 of said recess. The movement of the wheel 9 is then reversed so as to move the cross-head and the connected parts rearw'ard the movement of the movable jaws being of course convergingly rearward. Should the mitered end of one member 18 of the frame be in sli'ghtly to one side of the longitudinal center of the clamp, the teeth of the mov'able jaw at the same side will engage said member before the teeth of the companion jaw engage the other member 18, and slide said engaged member toward the companion member, it being i'mpo'ssible for it to slide the mitered edge beyond the longitudinal center of the plate because the fixed jaw toward which it moves endwise would arrest it, and in this connection it` will be understood that the parts are so proportioned that the teeth of the other jaw would be embedded in the other member 18 and have cl'amp'ed said member immovably against its opposing fixed jaw by the time the mitered end of the endwise moving member 18 attained its proper position. If the members 18 are both arranged with their mitered ends slightly apart they will both be moved endwise until their mitered edges are clamped firmly together and both are clamped immovably against the fixed jaws.

It will thus be seen that the members of the frame can be arranged and clamped properly together easily and expeditiously and that no skill or care is needed in thus securing them las would be the case if the movable j aws failed to impart endwise movement to the members in the event that they were not accurately and properly positioned in the clamp. It will be apparent of course that if it is desired to make a hexagonal or an octagonal shaped frame, it would be necessary to have the fixed jaws disposed at different obtuse angles with respect to each other and to make a diamond-shaped frame a different y be driven at intersecting angles transverselyv through the mitered ends of each member and longitudinally into the mitered end of the adjacent member.

F or convenience in driving the nails or brads as they are usually termed, the bedV plate is provided opposite the rear side of each fixed jaw with a pair of stud bolts' or pins 19, each pair being received by the alined slots 21 of a plate 20, resting upon the bed plate and clamped thereon at the desired point of' adjustment by nuts 22, it being n'oted that the slots of said plate extend parallel with the adjacent jaw 5 and that the front edge of the plate is about in contact with said jaw. The plate is provided with a longitudinal dove-tail groove 23, communicating at its front end with an Opening 24 and fitting slidingly in said groove is a plunger 25 consisting of a body portion 26, and a nail-engaging head 27, the body portion being doVe-tailed in the groove 23, and provided in its upper side with a longitudinal channel 28, and at opposite sides of the front end of said Channel with a pair of upwardly projecting perforated ears 29 between and to which is pivoted a link 30, pivoted to a lever 31, fulcrumed at 32 on and arranged between a pair of standards 33, projecting upward from plate 20.

Arranged in the Opening 24 is a pair of movable nail-holding jaws 34, which are` formed to provide a longitudinal-extending and upwardly fiaring month 35 and an outwardly flaring mouth 36, at their rear ends, and to support a nail or brad in line with the'center of the nail-engaging head of theVV plunger, theV adjacent faces of the nail-holding aws are provided with longitudinal channels 37.

The jaws are provided with alined outwardly-projecting pins 38, which extend through those portions of theplate 2'0 forming the side walls of the Opening 24, springs 39 mounted on said pins and bearing against the jaws and the side walls ofsaid Opening and holding the former pressed yieldingly together so as to guard against disarrangement of the nail or brad, and to prevent longitudinal movement of said aws and the con'sequent imposition of lateral pressure on the pins 38 as the plungerV forces the jaws apart as hereinafter mentioned, the front of the jaws are provided with outwardly-projecting flanges 40, bearing against inwardly f projecting flanges 41 of the said walls.

Assuming that the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 1, it will be apparent that by applying downward pressure on the handle end of the lever 31, the plungerwill be forced forward until it -engages the head of the nail or brad and forces the same into the side of the adjacent member 18. Immediately after it is properly embedded in said member, the end of the plunger enters the month 36 of the movable jaws and forces the latter apart and continues on yvard between them until the brad or nail is driven through the mitered end of the member mentioned and long'itndinally into the companion member, the reverse movement of the lever returning the plunger to its initial position and permitting the springs 89 to restore the jaws to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 7. A second brad is then placed between the jaws, it being understood that the brads are fitted between said aWs by passing them sidewise through the mouth thereof the springs yielding to permit the nail or brad to be thus arranged. If the members of the frame are sufficiently wide the plate 20 is adjusted laterally so that a second nail or brad may be driven home through one member and into the other. The col'npanion nailing attachment-if two are provided is then employed to force one or more nails transversely through the other member and longitudinally into the first-named member, so as to reliably secure the mitered ends of the members together as will be readily understood.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a miter clamp possessing the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the Statement of the object of the invention and l wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be restricted to the exact details of construction shown and described as obvious modifications Will Suggest themselves to one skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A miter clamp, comprising a bed plate .provided With a longitudinal dove-tail recess in its upper side terminating atone end in ontwardly flaring` branch recesses, a crosshead dove-tailed in the said recess and slidable longitudinally therein and provided with a threaded passage, a pair of jaws fixed With relation to the bed plate and extending convergingly rearward at equal anglesl and at their rear ends meeting and bridging the said recess and provided at such meeting' ends With an extension overhanging said recess, a screw engaging the threaded bore of the cross head and swiveled at. its front end in said extension and provided at its rear end with a handle, a pair of movable jaws each bridg'ing one of the branch recesses forward of the fixed jaws and extending substantially parallel therewith, and a pair of bars each fitting slidingly in the said recess and one of its branches and underlying and Secured to one of the movable jaws and pivoted at its opposite end to the underside of the said cross head.

2. A. miter clamp, comprising a bed plate provided with a longitudinal dove-tail recess in its upper side terminating at one end in outwardly 'larinp; branch recesses, a crosshead dove-tailed in the said recess and slidable longitudinally therein and provided with a threaded passage, a pair of jaws fixed with relation to the bed plate and extending` convergingly rearward at equal angles and at their rear ends meeting and ln'itlging` said recess and provided at their meeting' ends with an extension overhangin` said recess, and near their meeting ends with nail-receiving recesscs, a screw en'gaging the threaded bore of the cross head and swiveled at its front end in said extension and provided at its rear end with a handle, a pair of movable jaws each bridging,` one of the branch recesses forward of the fixed jaws and extendingy substantially parallel therewith, and a pair of bars each fitting sliding'ly in the said recess and one of its branches and underlying and Secured to one of the movable jaws and pivoted at its opposite end to the underside of the said cross-head.

8. A miter clamp, comprising a bed plate provided with a longitudinal dove-tail recess in its Upper side terminating' at one end in outwardly fiaring branch recesses, a crosshead dove-tailed in said recess and slidable longitudinally therein and provided With a threaded passag'e, a pair of jaws fixed with relation to the bed-plate and extending convergingly rearward at equal angles and at their rear ends meeting and bridging said recess and provided at their meeting ends with an extension overhanging said recess, and near their meeting` ends with nail-receiving recesses, a serew engaging the threaded bore of the cross-head and swiveled at its :front end in said extension and provided at its rear end with a handle, a pair of movable jaws each bridg'ing one of the branch recesses forward of the fixed jaws and extendinp,` substantially parallel therewith, and a pair of bars each fitting slidingly in the said recess and one of its branches and underlying` and Secured to one of the movable jaws and pivoted at its opposite end to the under side of the said cross-head; in combination with a pair of iaws for receiving` and holding a nail opposite one of said nail-receiving' recesses and at right angles to the fixed Iiaw containing said recess, sprino's holding` said jaws pressed yieldingly together, a plunger, and means to cause said plunger to move endwise and engage the nail and force the same endwise and then engage the jaws and force the same apart.

et. In a miter clamp, the combination of a pair of fixed jaWs having recesses and a pair of movable jaws to clamp the members of a frame against the fixed jaivs and With their mitered ends together, of a nailing attachinent comprising a plate bearing a fixed relatio-n to one of the fixed aWs, a pair of nail or brad holding aWs having a fiaring mouth at their outer ends and arranged opposite the recess of said fixed jaW, springs holding said nail-holding jaWs yieldingly together to support a nail or brad between them above the said plate, a reciprocatory plunger mounted on said plate, and means for advancing said' plunger to cause it to advance the nail or brad and force it through the mitered end. of one of said members and longitudinally into the mitered end of the other member and in such movement pass between and force apart the said nail or brad holding javvs.

5. In a mlter clamp, the combination of a pair of fiXed jaws having recesses and a pair' of movable jaws to clamp the members of aframe against the fixed jaWs and With their mitered ends together, of a nailing attachment comprising a plate bearing a fixed relation to one of the fixed jaWs, a pair of nail or brad holding jaWs having` a fiaring month at their outer ends and arranged opposite the recess of said fixed jaW, springs holding said nail-holding jaWs yieldingly together to support a nail or brad between them'above the said plate, a reciprocatory plnnger monnted on said plate, and a lever suitably supported and connected to said plunger to advance the same and cause it to advance the nail or brad, and force it through the mitered end of one of said members and longitudinally into the mitered end of the other member and in such movement pass between and force apart the said nail or brad holding javvs;

6. In a miter clamp, the combination of a pair of fiXed jaws having recesses and a pair of movable jaws to clamp the members of the frame against the fixed jaWs and With their mitered ends together, of a nailing attachment at the outer Side of and adjustable in a direction parallel With one of said fixed jaws and provided With a longitudinal groove and an enlargement or Opening communicating With each other and With a recess of the said fixed jaW, a pair of nail'or brad holding javvs held' yieldingly together in the said Opening to support a nail or brad in position to pass through the said reoess of the said fixed jaW, a plnnger reciprocally mounted in said groove and provided With a head'in line and adapted for engagement With the head of the nail or brad, a lever suitably supported, and a link pivotally connecting said lever With said plunger.

In testimony Whereof I aflix my Signature, in the presence of tvvo Witnesses.

THOMAS B. MILLER. Witnesses:

HELEN C. Rononns, G. Y. TI-IORPE. 

